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I'm curious about Christianity, what does 33/66 mean specifically?

by andrelaszlo 5y ago

JetAlone 5y ago
I'm something of an otaku about religion, and I've never heard of it. I'd like to know what he means by it too.
- benreesman 5y ago
  I replied to the sibling in some detail. It’s not my ambition to tell anyone what to believe about God: I’m quite unsure myself. But my little primer-as-Internet comment is based on not only reading but memorizing these documents at a young age, it’s likely a reasonable place to formulate some Google search terms.
benreesman 5y ago
There are better sources than me for the broader history. In roughly 420AD there was something called the “Counsel of Nicea” where representatives from different Christian sects hammered out a consensus on what counts as the “Bible”, and they reified a distinction that had predated the debate into canon: 66 books of the “Old Testament” beginning with “Genesis”, and 33 books of the “New Testament” beginning with “Matthew”, or, “The Gospel According to Matthew”, and ending with “The Book of Revelations”. I was never a good scholar of the “Old Testament”. It’s part of the family tree that’s often called “Abrahamic”. Islam’s holy text is in this family tree in some sense. The “New Testament” is 4 allegedly first-hand accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, a set of writings called the “Pauline Epistles”, and some other stuff (“Acts of the Apostles”, etc). The “Old Testament” is especially complicated and random-seeming, but is broadly concerned with laws and punishments. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “an eye for an eye”, that’s very “Old Testament”. The “New Testament” is also complicated and random-seeming, but broadly concerned withers of grace, forgiveness, compassion, and redemption. Those are both wild oversimplifications, but I think give a flavor.
- JetAlone 5y ago
  >I think give a flavor. I'd agree, your post does a good job summarizing the common perception people have of biblical exoterica. There are much worse jumping off points. My understanding is that the Council of Nicea took place in 325 AD, and had a lot more to do with church teaching and management than with establishing the canon of scripture - though secondary sources suggest canon may have been discussed there as well. The number of the books seems to be off, I am not aware of any canon that is 33/66... It's understandable to mis-remember the number, and round it to one thirds, two thirds given that by page length, the old testament dwarfs the new. Canon list: New/Old Protestant: 27/39 for 66 total Catholic: 27/46 for 73 total Eastern Orthodox: 27/49 for 76 total To what you said in your first post, I can commiserate with the social phenomena you're talking about... If anything, it should be "Old Testament for me New Testament for thee", to remember that our own actions carry consequences for us, and burdens of responsibility, and to be forgiving, and loving, and self sacrificing towards others. Do I do that? Not nearly enough. Can I change? I hope so.

I'm curious about Christianity, what does 33/66 mean specifically?

JetAlone 5y ago

I'm something of an otaku about religion, and I've never heard of it. I'd like to know what he means by it too.

benreesman 5y ago
I replied to the sibling in some detail. It’s not my ambition to tell anyone what to believe about God: I’m quite unsure myself. But my little primer-as-Internet comment is based on not only reading but memorizing these documents at a young age, it’s likely a reasonable place to formulate some Google search terms.

benreesman 5y ago

There are better sources than me for the broader history. In roughly 420AD there was something called the “Counsel of Nicea” where representatives from different Christian sects hammered out a consensus on what counts as the “Bible”, and they reified a distinction that had predated the debate into canon: 66 books of the “Old Testament” beginning with “Genesis”, and 33 books of the “New Testament” beginning with “Matthew”, or, “The Gospel According to Matthew”, and ending with “The Book of Revelations”. I was never a good scholar of the “Old Testament”. It’s part of the family tree that’s often called “Abrahamic”. Islam’s holy text is in this family tree in some sense. The “New Testament” is 4 allegedly first-hand accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, a set of writings called the “Pauline Epistles”, and some other stuff (“Acts of the Apostles”, etc). The “Old Testament” is especially complicated and random-seeming, but is broadly concerned with laws and punishments. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “an eye for an eye”, that’s very “Old Testament”. The “New Testament” is also complicated and random-seeming, but broadly concerned withers of grace, forgiveness, compassion, and redemption. Those are both wild oversimplifications, but I think give a flavor.

JetAlone 5y ago
>I think give a flavor. I'd agree, your post does a good job summarizing the common perception people have of biblical exoterica. There are much worse jumping off points. My understanding is that the Council of Nicea took place in 325 AD, and had a lot more to do with church teaching and management than with establishing the canon of scripture - though secondary sources suggest canon may have been discussed there as well. The number of the books seems to be off, I am not aware of any canon that is 33/66... It's understandable to mis-remember the number, and round it to one thirds, two thirds given that by page length, the old testament dwarfs the new. Canon list: New/Old Protestant: 27/39 for 66 total Catholic: 27/46 for 73 total Eastern Orthodox: 27/49 for 76 total To what you said in your first post, I can commiserate with the social phenomena you're talking about... If anything, it should be "Old Testament for me New Testament for thee", to remember that our own actions carry consequences for us, and burdens of responsibility, and to be forgiving, and loving, and self sacrificing towards others. Do I do that? Not nearly enough. Can I change? I hope so.